With respect to the background of the present invention, reference is made that, for example, cardiac pacemakers, or so-called ICDs (intracardiac devices), comprise implantable stimulation electrodes for electrically connecting the stimulation device to a desired body tissue location. Implantable stimulation electrodes, for example, generally comprise measuring/pacing electrodes, shock electrodes, epicardial electrodes, endocardial electrodes, atrial or ventricular electrodes, unipolar or bipolar electrodes, and the like.
Such stimulation electrodes comprise one or more electrode surfaces at the distal end of the electrode and a connector at the proximal end of the electrode. The latter is used as an interface to the implantable stimulation unit.
When an implantable electrode is implanted in the patient, it is generally recommended to carry out several preliminary tests before permanently fixing the electrode in the final place thereof and before connecting the connector of the electrode to the implanted stimulation unit. For this purpose, the connector of the electrode is temporarily connected to a measuring device, for example, a patient system analysis unit, whereby a series of stimulation pulses of varying energy levels or other test signals can be supplied to the temporarily inserted electrode.
This measuring device is connected to the connector of the electrode by way of test terminal contacts, for example, in the form of alligator clips.
A problem with connecting such test terminal contacts to the connector of the electrode will be briefly highlighted hereafter based on the example of alligator clips.
The direct clip-connection of the alligator clip to the connector is not very reliable in general terms because the alligator clips may detach from the connector during the test operation. Moreover, a poor contact connection may exist if the alligator clips are poorly positioned at the connecting contacts of the connector, and this poor connection can influence the tests and result in incorrect conclusions, for example, with respect to the positioning of the electrode. In addition, faulty contacting and short circuits may occur with careless use of such alligator clips.
In connection with this problem, the prior art provides some solutions. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,777,140 discloses a type of contact clip, the clip jaws of which in each case accommodate the individual contact elements for the connecting contacts of the electrode connector. However, since the connector is inserted between the clip jaws, the connecting contacts of the electrode connector are not fully protected from contact. In addition, the connector may be incorrectly inserted in the contact clip, whereby the overall connecting safety of this known adapter solution is not adequate.
Other adaptation solutions are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,354,326 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,753,696. All of these solutions have a common drawback that a precisely fit orientation of the test terminal contacts with the connecting contacts of the connector of the electrode is difficult. Especially with the adapter solutions shown in the aforementioned documents, often times a mandrin replacement, required by users of such electrodes, is not possible when the connector is in the inserted position in the adapter during the implantation procedure.
The present invention is directed toward overcoming one or more of the above-identified problems.
Starting from at least the problems of the prior art described above, it is an object of the present invention to create an adapter for mechanically and electrically connecting an implantable electrode to a measuring device, wherein the adapter allows simple and safe adapter handling and, more particularly, improved positioning of the connecting contacts of the electrode and the test terminal contacts of the measuring device with respect to each other.